When people buy chairs and material handling equipment they often forget to think about the flooring conditions that the equipment will be used on. When you are looking for a caster to work on a carpeted floor, such as in an office environment, it is important to choose the right one. A carpeted workplace can present many challenges that are different from an area where the flooring is smooth. Having a chair that is difficult to move limits mobility and can hinder an employee’s ability to work at their best. This is why it is important to choose the right caster for the carpeted floor it will be used on.
Douglas Equipment has thought about this sort of problem over the almost 60 years experience in the caster and material handling equipment business. We pride ourselves in providing the right customer service to ensure you get the right casters, including Colson Casters, for your unique needs. We have access to easily ship to the entire United States, South America and the Caribbean because of our location in South Florida. Our experienced staff can ensure that you get the casters you need, when you need them, at a reasonable price.
What Do I Need in a Caster for a Carpeted Environment?
Some wheels that are designed for a smooth surface like tile or cement can be problematic on a carpeted floor. Small rubber wheels or even nylon twin wheels can dig in, especially over deeper piles, where a hooded nylon ball or decorative metal ball caster might make the most sense.
Shepherd’s Planets and Satellites fit the bill here: metal ball treads that wade through high pile carpeting. As do the Shepherd Barons: a spherical hard nylon ball cuts through the carpeting almost as well as the metal ball.
In some cases it may be advisable to go to a 3” wheel, or to a wheel with a pronounced crown to prevent that digging in. Ball bearings can aid caster traversal as well. The Shepherd Omega is a good example of an attractive crown-tread rubber caster with ball bearings.
Over low-pile industrial carpet, though the metal balls will still work, the more inexpensive nylon twin wheels will usually perform well. Cost and utility is why these are often seen on office equipment and chairs.
What Are Some Casters Available for Carpeted Areas?
Douglas Equipment has many different casters for many different applications, including those that work well on carpeted floors. Casters come in various mounting methods, including stem, threaded stem and plate mounts. Many also include optional locking features to hold the casters in place when desired. Some of the models that we might recommend for you to consider in a carpeted area might include the following:
- Shepherd Baron Series: These casters from Shepherd have double ball bearing raceways for smooth motion and are ideal for furniture, fixtures, medical equipment and office equipment. The 2″ Model is heat treated for better wear, has a hard, synthetic, spherical Polyolefin wheel, and the finish options are bright chrome, metalized brass, and Windsor antique for a very pleasing look.
- Shepherd Pacer Twin Wheel: These twin wheel casters come in two sizes that can handle loads from 75 to 100 pounds, have a nylon tread material and come in a flat black, satin chrome, Windsor antique, bright chrome, and brass plate finishes. The 2” models casters can also include a brake in the design if required for your application (though see the self-braking casters below)
- Shepherd Omega Series: Crown-tread Neoprene wheels with ball bearings and an attractive chrome finish to the hood and included thread guards make this caster the best of both worlds, with both the look of a decorative caster, and the maximum rollability of an industrial one.
- Shepherd Replacement Chair-Pivot Boss: These twin-wheel chair casters come in a black finish and have a nylon or urethane tread material for good wear. They come in one wheel size for a 75 pound dynamic load capacity and have a pivot boss to seamlessly integrate with your office chair’s wheel nylon chair base.
- Shepherd Metal Tread Ball: Two of Shepherd’s metal ball casters—the Satellites and the Planets—are BIFMA rated for chair usage. They include all metal wheels and come in finishes of Satin Chrome, Bright Brass, Bright Chrome and Windsor Antique. This classic design is seen on many office furnishings.
- Shepherd Self-Braking Chair Caster: This caster comes in a black finish urethane twin wheel design that holds a dynamic load of 75 pounds. The brake options are a compression brake that holds the caster in place when weight is applied, or a decompression brake, which holds the caster in place when weight is removed. The first braking option would stop the chair from moving when a person was seated, while the second option would allow for movement when the person was seated, but would stop the chair form rolling away when the person rose from the chair.
- Colson 1 Series: When you want an industrial look, or simply the most robust caster for the job, this caster comes in two sizes with capacities of 60 and 75 pounds. The wheel options are Performa rubber, polyolefin, cushion rubber with ball bearing, hard rubber with ball bearing, and (for 3” only) polyurethane HI-TECH, many of which are suitable for carpeted surfaces. This is a basic caster design that works well on most any carpeted surface.
Which Caster is Right for your Specific Needs?
Or course this is only a small sample of the casters that Douglas Equipment carries that can meet the needs of your carpeted areas. Our experts can help you choose the ideal casters for your specific needs through our proven advice and consistently excellent customer service. Give us a call at 800-451-0030 or contact us online for help selecting the casters and wheels that will keep you mobile on your carpeted floors.
